Force cup



P 1934- w. B. STEPHENSON 1,972,114

FORCE CUP Filed Jan. 6, 1935 -25 ail/$5 27/10/77 .6. 676,0/76/46021 a 20 0 5 ,9 %m/ Quiz/01 W Patented Sept. 4, 1934 PATENT. orrics (FORCE CUP 1 .WilliamiB. Stephenson, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to George J. Irsch, Harvey, Ill.

i fAp plication'January 6, 1933, Serial No. 650,377

9 Claims. .(01. 4-255) The present: invention relates to improvements in force cups adapted for cleaning obstructed pipes. p .One force cup in common use consists-of an elastic cup body having a peripheral rim adapted to establish an. air tight seal about the inlet of the pipe to be cleaned, and of aihandlefor collapsing the .cup body to force the trapped air therein under pressure into the pipe. In use, the

cup body is collapsed repeatedly for the purpose causingsame tobe fully dislodged.

.The primary object of the present. invention resides intherprovision of a newand improved force; .cupwhich avoids the foregoing objections andwhich more specifically comprises novel means for venting the 'cup automatically to the exterior after each collapse so, that the cup body canbe expanded preparatory to the-next collapse without creating in the pipe a suction force following'the pressure impulse.

Q :Other objects and advantagesrwill become apparent as the descriptionproceeds.

In the accompanying drawing, .Figure 1 is. a fragmentaryverticalsectional view of a force cup embodyingtheieatures of my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional-view showing the vent in closed position.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view; taken along line33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentaryvertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

-iFig. 5 is-a transverse sectional view taken along line:5-5 if Fig.4.

-While the invention issusceptible .ofvarious modifications and. alternative, constructions; I. 5 have :shown inlthe .draim'ng and will herein de-' scribe -in-'-detail,,the preferred embodiment, but it isto lee-understood that I do not thereby intend to limit. the: invention a to the. specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling. withinthe spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended'olaims. I

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the

force :cup constituting the preferred embodiment 55 oftheinventioncomprises a -cup'bod'y 6 which is" made of elastic material, such for example asrubber, and which'may be provided in any suitable form. Preferably, the cup body 6 is concave downwardly and has a peripheral rim 7 at the bottom margin adapted to establish an air tight seal about the inlet of the pipe to be cleaned. The top of the cup body 6 has a central upright integral shank 8 which is formed inits upper end with a screw threaded socket 9 separated from the interior of the cup body by anintermediate base wall 10.. A suitable substantially solidhandle 11 for actuating the cup body 6 is threaded at its lower end into the socket 9.

Theprimary featureof the invention resides in 'the provision of an air vent having. a novel sensitive and responsive valve which will. close automatically to trap the air within the cup body 6 while the same is being collapsedgand which willopen to admit air to the interiorof the cup bodyupon releasing the latter so' as to prevent. the drawing of apartial vacuumfollowing the pressure impulse in the pipe. The air vent may be provided in various forms. f

InFigs. 1 and 2, the air vent comprises 'a valve passage 12, opening, centrally through the base wall 10 into-the inner end of the socket 9, and in the present instance defined by a small sleeve or tube 13 tightly fitted in a bore liformed in the wall. The tube 13 may-be made of. any suitable material, such for example as copper. 1 Preferably, the tube'13 is slightly less in length than and islocated centrally in the bore 14.50 that the ends of th e tube terminate slightly short of the external surfaces of the wall 10. The passage .12 isin communication with the inner end of .a. passage l5extending axially into the handle ,11 andopening through a cross passage 16 to the atmosphereat the periphery of the handle adja cent the shank 8. v

A valve member 1'7, in the form of a' flat cir"-, cular disk, is adaptedto. move against the inner surface of the wall ,10 across the lower ends ,of the bore'14 and the passage 12'to close the latter upon the building up of pressure inthe cup body 6. Since the lower end of thetube'13 is spaced fromthe inner surface of the wall 10, the latter affords a yieldable seat for the valve member 17, thus insuring a tight seal during each pressure stroke. The yieldable seat presentedby the wall 10 and the coacting area of the valve member 17 are air and water impervious, and when in contact prevent the out-filtration of air through the passage 12. These areas are not subject to deterioration,,and afford a tight seal for the normal life of the cup 6. Theivalve member 17 is suspended for free floating movement by a stem 18 which extends upwardly in peripherally spaced relation through the tube 13, and which is connected at its upper end to a perforated disk or cross member 19 adapted to rest against the upper surface of the wall 10.

In use, the valve member 1'7 normally is suspended in open position under the force of its own Weight. During the pressure stroke, the pressure of the trapped air in the cup body 6 will force the valve member 17 tightly against the wall 10 to close the air vent. Upon subsequently lifting the handle 11 to expand the cup body 6, the valve member 1'7 will drop, thereby opening the air vent and preventing the forma tion of a partial vacuum. Hence, in the repeated operation of the force cup, no suction is created in expanding the cup body 6, and the work performed during the pressure stroke is not undone.

merely to and fro. On the contrary, the pres: sure impulses are cumulative in effect so that the pipe, obstruction may be easily and quickly removed.

A modified form of air vent is shown in Figs.

4 and 5. In this form, a vent passage 20, mencircular and preferably square in cross-section, is formed in the wall 10, and opens therethrough from the interior of the cup body 6 to the innerend of the socket 9. Formed in the lower end of a the handle 11 directly over the passage 20 is a valve chamber 21. A passage 22 opens from the chamber 21 axially into the handle "11, and-communicates through a cross passage 23 with the atmosphere,

expanded, and which will prevent air within the cup body from escaping. Both of the valve mem bers 1'7 and 25 are mounted for free floating movement so as to insure quick closing and opening of the air vent passages at the start respectively of the pressure stroke and the suction stroke of the cup 6. By free floating movement? of the valve member is meant a movement, though restricted in extent, which occurs only in response to the weight of the member and to I differences in air pressure, and whichis notretarded by friction or other mechanical influences.

I I claim as my invention:

1. A force cup comprising, in' combination, a cup body of concave form and resilient material, said body having a peripheral sealing rimand a central external shank, said shank being, formed with a socket separated from the interior of said body by a wall, said wall being formed with a V bore opening vtherethrough from the interior of said body axially into said socket, a metalsleeve snugly fitted in said bore, said sleeve being less in length than said bore and being spaced from the innner face of said wall, a flat air impervious disk valve member suspended in said body for free floating movement against said face to close said bore, said member having a stem extending The inner end of the passage 22 isslightly enlarged, and a metal sleeveor tube 24;

outwardly through said sleeve, a cross member connected to said stem and adapted to engage the outer face of said wall to support said valve member, and a handle secured in said socket, said handle having an axial passage in communication at one end with said bore and opening at the other end to the atmosphere.

2. A force'cup comprising,'in combination, a cup body of concave form and resilient material, said body having a peripheral sealing rim and a central external shank, said shank being formed with a socket separated from the interior of said body by a wall, said wall being formed withavalve bore opening therethrough from the interior of said body into said socket, a metal sleeve snugly fitted in said bore, a valve member suspended in said body for free floating movement against the inner face of said wall to close said sleeve, said member' having a stem extending outwardly The sludge or obstruction cannot! be drawn backwardly 'out of the pipe, nor moved through said sleeve, a cross member connected to said-stem and adapted to engage said wall to support'said valve member, and a handle secured in said socket, said handle having a passage in communi'cation at one end with said bore and opening at the other end to theatmosphere.

3. A force cup comprising, in combination, a cup body of'resilient material, said body having a central external shank, said shank being formed with a socket separated from the interior of said body by a wall, said wall being formed with a valvepa'ssage opening therethrough from the interior of said body into said socket, a freefloating valve member movable against said wall to close said passage, saidmember having a stem extending through said passage, a cross member connected to said stem and adapted to engage said Wall to support said valve member, and a" handle secured in said socket, said handle having a passage in communication with said'first mentioned passage and opening to the atmosphere.

4. A force cup comprising, in combination, a. cup body of resilient material, said body having a central external shank, said shank being formed with a socket separated from theinterior of said body by'a' wall, said wallbeing formed with a valve passage opening therethrou'gh from the interior of said body into said socket, a substantially solid handle secured in said socket, said handle having a passage in communication with saidfirst mentioned passage and opening at the 'periphery of said handle closely adjacent said shank directly to the atmosphere, and a free floating check valve coacting with said first mentioned passage to close the latter in response topressure insaid body. i i I 5..A hand force cup comprising, in' combination,'a cup body of resilient material, said body having an external shank, a substantially solid handle secured at one end to said shank, an air vent passage formedin said shank and said nan dle and opening from the interior'of said body 'to theatmosphere, said passage defining a valve seat, and a freefioating weighted check'valve member loosely confined in said passage in -peripherally spaced relation therewith for permitting the entry of airinto said body, and adapted to be closed'against said seat in" responset'o pressure, within said body, said seat and said .valve member having water and air impervious coacting surfaces for effecting a tight seal when in engagement. Y 6. A force cup comprising, in combination, a cup body of concave for'm'and resilient material, said'body having a peripheral sealing rim and a central external shank, said shank being formed fro with a screw threaded socket separated from the interior of said body by a wall, said wall being formed with a central passage non-circular in cross-section and opening therethrough from the interior of said body centrally to said socket, a handle threaded into said socket, "said handle being formed with a valve chamber in communication with said passage and with an axial passage in communication at one end with said chamber and opening at the other end to the atmosbody of concave form and resilient material, said body having a peripheral sealing rim and a central external shank, said shank being formed with a socket separated from the interior of said body by a wall, said wall being formed with a central passage non-circular in cross section and opening therethrough from the interior of said body centrally to said socket, an elongated handle secured in said socket, said handle being substantially solid throughout its length and being formed with a valve chamber in communication with said passage and with an axial passage in communication at one end with said chamber and opening at the other end at the periphery of said handle to the atmosphere, the inner end of saidlast mentioned passage constituting a valve seat, and

a metal ball freely disposed in said chamber, said ball normally resting against said wall over said first mentioned passage and being adapted to move into engagement with said seat in response to pressure within said body.

8. A force cup comprising, in combination, a hollow cup body of resilient material, a handle secured to said body, said body being formed with a valve passage communicating with the atmosphere and'defining at its inner end a resilient valve seat, a hard non-deformable sleeve fitted in said passage and serving to preserve the form thereof, and a free floating valve member having a metal face movable into engagement with said resilient seat in response to pressure in said body to seal said passage, said valve member having a stem extending loosely in peripherally spaced relation through said sleeve and having means for preventing withdrawal of said stem from said sleeve while permittinga limited extent of lost motion. V V

v 9. A force cup comprising, in combination, a cup body of resilient material, a shank on said body having a socket, a substantially solid cylindrical handle secured in said socket, an air vent passage opening directly from the atmosphere 

